To Know a Gods Rage
by Minnelli2007
Summary: Ares and Gabrielle, She returns to Greece to deliever the news of Xena and Ares reaction. Updated for the readers who wanted it.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own Xena or any of the characters. **

**Read and Review if you'd like, for now this will stay as a one-shot unless its wanted to be more.**

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His face was frozen in its despair. His body trembled with emotion as Gabrielle, Battling Bard and Amazon Queen stood in front of him, trying to voice the words on why Xena was not with her. He knew though, the moment his name left her lips and the tone she had approached him with, he knew what Xena's fate had been. Her soft voice drifted over him as he looked at her with his face terrifyingly blank. Starring at her, he finally took the time to try and find what drew Xena to her.

She was beautiful, not strikingly so but in her own way. Short golden hair that was just skimming her shoulders was tucked behind her small ears. Her green eyes which did usually sparkle now were dull and filled with regret and sadness. She had a lean body, toned from fighting and constant traveling she had done with Xena, though scars were scattered about on her. He looked back into her eyes and saw her forehead furrowed in confusion and it seemed as if she was debating with herself.

"Ares." She whispered again, moving forward and resting a hand on his upper arm He glanced down at it and without thought took her wrist and removed her hand, but continued to hold her.

"It was what she wanted, and I know how you must feel." But his hand tightened on her wrist, cutting the rest of her sentence off.

"How I feel Gabrielle?" Ares strong and rough voice rose in anger with each word. "The one I loved was taken and I couldn't protect her. Tell me Gabrielle, how do I feel if you know so well?" His eyes darkened and she realized it was not depression he had trembled with earlier as she thought. Instead it was anger and rage that had swiftly consumed his body.

"Ares, let me go." She tried to speak strongly but she was truly filled with fear. 'Don't make me hurt you Ares." She tried to pull away from him when a smirk over-took his dark features. "Ares." She tried again and attempted to pull away but he only held her tighter.

"I'm waiting Gabrielle, and you won't be going anyway." She stared at him confused and he pulled her against his chest, his other hand grabbing her hair and tilting her head up by pulling down painfully. "Tell me how I feel." He whispered dangerously and she shuddered at the sparks of hate radiating from him.

"Ares, please." She tried as tears pooled in her eyes, after losing Xena she was not ready to face an uncontrollable God. She cursed herself for choosing to come back to Greece and try to find Eve instead of going to Egypt as she had planned. His laugh startled her from her thoughts and she looked back up into his dark eyes.

"Please let you go? Is that what you were going to ask me Gabrielle." He leaned closer to her and she held her breath in terror. She saw him scan her own features and was afraid by what he might to do her. "I will not let what Xena cherished from my sight ever Gabrielle." And again she shook in fright from the way he said her name with such emphasis. Her words traveled through her head and her beautiful eyes widened in realization. A sadistic smile appeared on his face as he tugged her hair harder than before.

"Yes Gabrielle." He snarled and leaned toward her more, his breath on her cheek. "You understand now, I will own the last piece of her that I can." His laugh filled the air as the two disappeared in a flash of a blue-light, her bag with scrolls the only thing left of her for anyone to find.


	2. Chapter 2

Her head spun as she realized what happened, where he had taken her

**Disclaimer: I do not own Xena or any of the characters.**

**A/N If you haven't noticed, I'm terrible at updating even when its just short chapters. I might make this longer depending on how I feel, I know where I could take it, though if I do, chapters will be horribly short like this one. Better effect and all. Enjoy ******

Her head spun as she realized what happened, where he had taken her. The breathe left her body as she collapsed on the floor from sheer shock. He looked down in a mixture of disgust and possession.

"Stand." He simply command, his voice rumbling through the chambers he brought her to. She looked around, the dim lighting giving no hint of where she was to be held. The candelight flickered and she saw the bed with its black satin sheets against the back wall, centered and decorated with skulls and bones. Gabrielle brought her hand to her head and grabbed her hair in frustration. It was only temporary relief from the stress that was to be inflicted upon her. Not moments after, Ares yanked her roughly to her feet and was directly in her face again.

"When I tell you to do something, you listen." He said harshly, searching her eyes for obedience but seeing only anger. He smiled deviously and caressed her face. "This is how I want you Gabrielle. I'm going to craft you into the next great warrior, not a replacement for none could replace her but you will be achingly close to what she was. So save it." His hand made its way down to her throat and he gripped her tightly. "Save your anger and hatred, save your pain and once you have been perfectly molded, unleash it on the unsuspecting world." He thrust her away from him and laughed disappearing in the light, leaving her alone in her prison.

"Ares!" Gabrielle screamed with absolute fury, slamming her fists against the table she stood next to. She quickly strode to the only door and began pushing and pulling the handle trying to force it open. She knew, knew it was useless to even try but nothing could stop her from battling against the unjust position she was stuck in. Her thoughts soon over-came her and she placed her back against the door and slid to the floor in exhaustion, her eyes filling with tears.

"Oh Xena, who will help me now." She muttered dejectedly, not knowing if there was a savior out there to save her from the destruction that was to be reeked upon her life.

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Ares watched through a pool of water in another room in the temple he had brought her to. He smirked to himself as she slowly began to crumple and give in to his power. He knew though, Gabrielle would fight with every ounce of what she had. The Amazon Queen would never give into him, and that's what would make his victory over her the sweetest one he could obtain. Waving his hand, he looked to his left as a pink light flicked in the room and his dear sister Aphrodite appeared.

"Don't even." He growled, his powers straining as tension took over his body.

"Ares, you can't do this. I won't let you keep her." Aphrodite said with a whine in her voice but anger fueling her words. Though the Goddess of Love was rarely serious, when it came to her friends she was deadly loyal and would not allow Ares to subject Gabrielle to his will.

"And what's going to stop me? Love?" He laughed as he took a step closer to his sister, his hand resting on the hilt of his sword. "War and anger are more powerful then love could ever be. I know battles sister, don't fight one your sorely outnumbered in. You wont win this." The two stood in a stand still and Aphrodite scoffed but snapped her fingers and disappeared in a cloud of pink glitter. He smirked and walked back to his throne of skin and bones, resting his legs over the side and drawing his sword, resting it upon his lap, waiting for the next challenge in the war he was waging.


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Xena or any of the characters.**

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_Everything was changed._

_It was so dark around and she felt so alone, the sticky substance stained upon her once innocent hands. Her pain poured down her face continuously as she tried to comfort herself, as she tried to erase the memory of what had been done. She was curled into a fetal position as she tried to choke back each sob that shook her body._

"_Gabrielle!" The franticness, the pure fear she heard calling her name. She crawled from behind the alter of death and saw her friends pale blue eyes converge upon her in moments. Without sparing a glance at the body on the alter, Gabrielle was gathered into Xena's arms, rocking back and forth in what was supposed to be a comforting motion._

"_What happened?" She stroked the bard's hair and held her closer trying to ward off her pain._

"_Mer" Gabrielle whispered. "Mer-mer-Meridian." She raised her voice loud enough to Xena to hear even though she was in her arms._

"_She's dead, Gabrielle, who did this?" Xena whispered trying to help her friend, confused and worried for Gabrielle._

"_I did. I killed her. I killed her, Xena." Gabrielle's voice broke again as Xena drew back to look into her red-rimmed eyes._

"_A-ah Gabrielle you couldn't" Xena tried but was quickly cut off_

"_No, I did. I just stabbed her." She said starring blankly ahead._

"_Accidentally you…"_

"_No, I stabbed her. Xena, I did-I murdered her" Her voice seemed so lost, Xena could only hold her friend._

"_Gabrielle, it's..it's" The entrance of Khrafstar awoke the two of them from their shock as Xena stood with her sword drawn and Gabrielle turned away sobbing and moaning as if in pain._

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"Xena!" Black satin pooled around her waist as she sat up straight in bed, sweat pouring down her body, shaking from her nightmare. She pulled her legs up to her chest and rested her chin on them and closed her eyes taking shallow breaths. She felt a cold cloth press against her head and she relaxed into it, enjoying the moisture against her heated skin.

"Lie back down." A soft voice rumbled against her ear. She stiffened and went to pull away but found hardened arms around her, pulling her back into a hardened chest.

"Let me go." She growled, struggling to pull away.

"You see Gabrielle that's what I don't understand. You were always so blindly faithful to those who put you in so much danger." His voice drifted over her, deep and soothing. "Yet me, I've only tried to help on countless occasions and yet you still do not see what I could do for you."

"Do for me?" She laughed and fought harder. "This situation I'm in certainly does plenty for my fueling my feelings towards you Ares." She spat.

"I can't lose what is left Gabrielle. I thought you of anyone could understand what she came to mean to people." Gabrielle briefly stopped and softened at the pain in his voice.

"This isn't the way to hold onto her, go out there and follow the path she began." Gabrielle tried to reason but his laughter caused her to freeze.

"God of War the new Bringer of Peace along with the Battling Bard. Oh Gabrielle." His hand reached up to cup her face and she flinched away.

"You have such promise; maybe you need a few days alone to realize it." He slid from the bed and moved into her vision. As he was about to speak again, a loud crash was heard from another room and angrily he disappeared from her view, letting his words sink in as she would now be in solitude.

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"Ares!" His voice boomed as he threw chairs into the wall and weapons to the ground.

"Oh little brother, what a pleasure." Ares appeared behind the man and quickly side-stepped his outstretched hand.

"Tell me Aphrodite was lying when she came to me; tell me Gabrielle is not here." He threatened his hand curling into fists. Ares smirked and his heart sank at the fighting stance he took.

"Why Hercules, would I lie to you?" He drew his sword and lunged while Hercules blocked with his gauntlets made by Hephaestus. Rolling by Ares and grabbing a sword from the ground, he took stance and prayed in his mind Ioulus would be able to find Gabrielle in the temple before serious damage done.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Xena or any of the characters.**

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Unaware of the power struggle happening in the other room, Gabrielle sat on the floor with her back braced against the foot of the bed. Her eyes were trained on the door as she broke of piece after piece of bone from the board and threw it at the offending door. She shut her eyes in frustration, not sure how long she could put up with solitude, something that seemed to be driving her into a state of insanity.

"By the Furies." She sighed banging her head against more bone. Flashes of an old conversation with Ares, a forgotten memory played through in her mind.

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_She was buried in guilt and grief at the outcome of her actions. Gabrielle had to get away from the town, away from all the looks and accusations. She had to escape. Traversing the desert lands, she came to a beautiful white tree, one on the verge of dying. She walked a few feet from, anger overcoming her features. Turning to the tree, she snarled and fiercely threw her Sais embedding them into the bark. She stomped to the tree and ripped them from it. When she was back in her original spot she paused a moment._

_Without evening turning Gabrielle could sense he was there. Spinning she threw one Sais with might at him, aiming for his chest. He caught it before it cut him and looked at her with raised eyebrows._

_"When I first met you, you barely had the skill to skip a rock." He started and raised his hand to catch the second Sais that was now flying towards his head. With ease he held it in his hand and lowered the two weapons. "I guess Xena's been a positive influence on ya after all. You're getting pretty good with these."_

_"Not good enough!" She spat back, glaring at him and crossing the sand to reach him. "You did it! You did it!" She cried twice, slamming her fists against him and pushing him in anger. She grabbed the two tridents from his hand and stomped away from him again. Ares went and lazily leaned against the tree, watching her form and anger seep out of her._

_"I did what I had to." He explained as he watched her hurl the weapons again. She followed after them and stopped in front of the tree, whispering._

_"I didn't" She stood in front of the protruding hilts, emptiness laced within her words._

_"Don't be so hard on yourself, Gabrielle. It was selfish of Eli to put you in that position." He grabbed her wrists before she could pull away and turned her to him. "You can't fool me, Gabrielle. I can see you know the truth/"_

_"What truth is that?" She questioned, starring at him with confusion in her eyes._

_"That might, is right, even when it's wrong." She pulled away from him and grabbed the sais from the withering tree._

_"You don't know what I believe." She spat, still staring at ahead. Ares moved so he was behind her, his fit body lightly pressed against her own. He moved his hands to her biceps, lightly grasping them._

_"I can see into your heart, Gabrielle. I know you're trying to do the right thing." He moved his hands up to her shoulders and pressed more weight onto her. "You'd have no regrets if you listened to your head, instead of Eli. Imagine how it could be." He whispered leaning forward, closer to her neck. "If you had the power to save him. Let me show you, what it feels like." He slowly spun her around until she was facing him, looking up into his darkened features. Ares waved his hand over her face and she shut her eyes in bliss. A red glow surrounded her body and soon changed into a blue one. "This is how I feel, every moment, of every day." She opened her eyes but the sheer bliss of what he was giving her made them flutter shut again. "It is the power of the Gods. And with it, you can change the world. Isn't it what you've always wanted?" The glow disappeared and he stepped away from her, smiling softly. Ares raised his eyebrows in question but disappeared in a flash if a wispy grey fog._

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With a scream of anguish she threw her last bone at the door and watched it shatter. Running her hands through her hair, she finally lowered her head to her knees and let her tears fall.

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Ioulus wandered through the corridors as he frantically kicked each door in trying to find Gabrielle. His ears perked up as finally her scream echoed down the corridor. He rushed forward, through the twists and turns of the temple until he heard sobbing from a wooden door in front of him.

"Gabrielle." He screamed, pounding on the door. Ioulus heard a shuffling on the other side and faint scuffles against the floor.

"Ioulus?" A broken, distraught voice timidly answered.

"Gabrielle, its me, were here to help you." HE leaned his forehead against the wood and waited for her to answer.

"Ioulus please." She whispered, hope settling into her. "Get me out." She commanded, her voice hoarse with emotion. She fought against the door from her side and he began throwing himself against it.

"I'll be back, I'm getting something to break the door down." Ioulus ran down the corridor until he came to another room. Without thinking, he entered and visibly gulped looking into a group of warriors faces.

"Oh Zeus help me." The warriors glared at him maliciously and drew their weapons, smirking in delight.

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Hercules dodged another fireball as Ares laughed and threw it his way. The two brothers had ruined the main room of the temple by throwing each other into columns and breaking the structure of the room. Ares disappeared and his laughter echoed around the room.

"Ares!" Hercules raged, pulling himself up from the stones that had fallen on him. He looked around the room trying to find his half-brother. He felt a tap on his shoulder and turned, ready to block the next punch. Instead it was Ares foot that flew towards his mid-section and he doubled over out of air. Ares grabbed his hair and forced the other man to look up at him.

"Stay out of my business, or I promise I will kill you next time." Having grown tired of the fight, he left the room one last time and made his way to a different part of the temple.

Hercules quickly stood and stumbled down the corridor he sent Ioulus through earlier. He followed the sound of metal clashing against each other and came to the room Ioulus was fighting in.

"Hercules." His friend exclaimed, kicking backwards and knocking another man down. "Little help?" He questioned, elbowing a man in his face and using him as leverage to throw his body against another man. Hercules rushed to his friends aide and in no time, the room was unconscious on the ground.

"Did you find her?" Hercules quickly questioned, tucking his shaggy brown locks behind his ears and looking into his friends delightful face.

"Just down here." Ioulus rushed him to the door where he heard Gabrielle and watched as Hercules barreled through the door, breaking it down in the process. Ares stood on the other side, Gabrielle limp in his arms. He glanced up in fury and she hazily opened her eyes.

"Hercules?" She whispered, confusion in her mind. Ares looked down with a masked emotion before disappearing with her in his arms, leaving the two men in his temple. Hercules growled in frustration and punched the stone wall, breaking through it. The temple shuddered in protest and he glanced down at Ioulus

"We gotta go." The walls began crumbling around him as the two rushed away from Gabrielles first prison, trying to figure out where her next was to be.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Xena or any of the characters.**

**I apologize for how long it's been. With life going on, I forgot how many people other than myself enjoyed this story. I hope you all continue to enjoy and please excuse any mistakes you may find.**

**Enjoy**

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"Holy Hera."

She felt so groggy, a heaviness was settled into her bones. Unsure of her location all she knew was that her head felt like a herd of centaurs had run over her. Gabrielle rolled over and noticed Ares was sitting in a long-backed wooden chair next to the bed she was in. She groaned and hid her face in the silk covered pillows.

"Morning to you too, Goldie." He gently tugged the cool sheets back and held a steaming goblet in front of her. She raised her brows and looked at him with suspicion.

"It's to help your head. The drug I used leaves an after effect that's, shall we say less than desirable." Gabrielle fought with herself for a few minutes but decided even if he was attempting to poison her, it would be better than her current predicament. She took the goblet and drank it in one gulp, gagging afterward from the taste. Handing the goblet back to him and the bard curled under the sheets in misery.

"You're so pathetic sometimes Gabrielle." Ares commented, his left foot resting atop his knee. He let out a low deep laugh when she shot up in bed and glared at him.

"Pathetic Ares? Is that why I resort to kidnapping someone that the woman I loved traveled with, who didn't love me back by the way?" His eyes darkened from the outburst and he strode forward, grabbing her around her neck.

"I will tell you this once, never speak to me of her in that manner again. Do you understand?" His grip had unconsciously tightened with the last three words and she nodded in fear. He let her go and she fell back against the bed, coughing and holding her neck. He sat in the chair across from her, his head hanging down and hands clasped between his knees.

"I want to help you Gabrielle, I really do. But you make it so easy to want to destroy you at the same time. As hard as it is to believe you aren't the only one who really loved her. I gave up my god-hood for that woman and for you and her child. Tell me that's not devotion." He was ranting now, his fists clenched in anger and hurt. She wasn't used to seeing the conniving and deceiving god of war look so lost. She moved to the edge of the bed and took his hands in hers, compelled to help him.

"What do you mean by help?" She questioned, looking into his eyes as he looked at her.

"You're naive if you think now that Xena is gone men will no longer come after you. They know your scrolls will leave a legacy and help her name to live on in good. They want you dead, they want to break you and torture you so that her spirit will never rest in peace." Her eyes widened in shock, having never thought Xena's enemies would come after her. He laughed bitterly and pulled away.

"Ah so now you see, you realize how safe you really are." He drawled sarcastically. He looked away from her, stood and walked to the window starring out of it.

"When we lived on the farm together Gabrielle, it changed me a bit. Not much, but enough to realize that giving up my god-hood wasn't the curse I thought. I had the woman I wanted with me and doing daily tasks on a farm. If you two could have just stayed, I would have been content with that life and she could be alive." He turned so she could see his eyes and read the truth in them.

"See what Xena's greater good did to her? It killed her Gabrielle. Many things she did were noble but her drive to redeem all her actions eventually killed her. She was selfish, she left you before for her own debts and now she died for them and left you again. I won't see your greater good consume you like it did her." He left the room, allowing Gabrielle to consider and think on his words.

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Are had summoned his second in commander and when the pale warrior appeared, the man dropped to his knees in front of his master.

"Kratos, stand." The bald warrior stood, his weapons sheathed at his side and awaited orders from his god. Ares evaluated the man and stood from his throne, walking down the steps to him.

"I want you to find my brother Hercules and his friend. Delay them, divert them, kill them. I don't care what you do just make sure they do not come here anytime soon. I need time with my amazon and any interruptions will ruin the progress I make. As soon as she is ready, I will release you from your bond to me and she will take your place. I assume you understand how important this task is?" Kratos nodded and quickly strode from the temple, heading to the nearby town to gather supplies and information. It was his only wish to be released from service and if she was meant to take his place, no one would get in his way to help Ares.

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She had tried to go back to sleep to no avail. Memories tainted her dreams, they clouded her thoughts and mind.

_**He's got his own agenda, none of this is to protect you**__._ She told herself. But her memories begged to differ.

_The white robe felt loose on her body compared to her skirt and top. It felt flowing, freeing almost. She walked to the waters edge and knelt in front of it, looking into it for a moment. Dipping her finger tips she stopped from going further._

"_Uh-uh-uh. I wouldn't do that if I were you." His voice rang out from behind her and she was surprised when she turned and saw him._

"_What are you doing here?" She asked, confused by his presence._

"_You don't know? Oh yea, the memory thing right? Got a problem up here? Bad thoughts keeping you up nights? Believe it or not, I'm here to protect you. Remember when you stole my powers ,with that whole scroll business? I know, call me big softie, but I decided I like you after all." He smirked at her and moved closer to Gabrielle._

"_Maybe you're here for your own selfish reasons." She turned back to the water, staring hard at it._

"_Aren't you? It's called the "River of Wailing." And just remember, I did warn you." She entered, but even with the warning she wasn't ready for the onslaught of memories when she splashed her face with water._

_**No, that was her guilt she was fighting at the time, not Ares. **_She remembered. Though it was his face and his body that was in her dreams with her, it was all her guilt and her own denial of what she had done. He didn't help her then.

"_You could do it, you could get me there ahead of her." She was next to Argo, holding his reigns as the thought came into her head._

"_Is that what you want? Cause you have to ask me; that is if you don't mind owing a favor to the god of war." He whispered, stepping away from the home he was near and towards Gabrielle, moving until he was in front of her, his hand resting on Argo. She looked down for a moment, but with clarity looked up and spoke._

"_Send me there, I'm asking."_

_**That was him trying to fuel my jealously, my hatred. **_In those moments she had hated Xena so much, hated that the past few years they had together was being thrown away. Jealous that Xena loved someone else more than she loved Gabrielle.

"_I gave up my immortality to save them."_

Gabrielle had no counter argument to that memory.

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**Again special thanks to all who have reviewed: Buffyxenaman, Vivian, Personart, Little Karma, Haxan, Taladarkiejj, KonoSetsuna, Sleepy26, Perla, Corey, Shadow-In-The-Endless-Darkness, Wiccagirl-2005, and Alixmm.**


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